Deemania since 56

Swans and Giants, yes. Doggies? I reckon we blew their whole gameplan out of the water for a long, long time.

This is a big call, so I don't need a great deal of advice on the comment. That aside, if I was asked to describe a clone of a mid-career Hassa Mann, I would start with a summary of what Bowey has displayed, so far - and probably finish with where he could be in games to come.

Subject to recovery of fitness, I'd like to see Tomlinson back on the wing - I think this is important to get Gus off the wing and back into the 'corridor' from whence his goodly fragrance emanated. I have a good deal of faith in Tomlinson and his play, his ground coverage and his 'space' awarenesses. It looks as though many consider that Petty will hold down CHB next season rather than trialling him up forward, and with the additional and rather recent team play coming out of defence, Tomlinson might be 'found' next season, out there on the flanks, in space and ready to take us forwards.

Interesting way to describe Adem Yze. Never knew he was a sausage-cooker, nor adept at procuring the best sausages, onions, sauce, bread rolls and potato salads.

I reckon, FWIW, that Polec has played his purple patch about two years ago, elsewhere, of course. We do not need him - we do need to continue the development of so many younger players ( from whom, many Polecs could well be discovered). Further, I firmly believe this will occur within existing arrangements and our sudden coaching improvements. Carna Dees!

Yes, a great skills and motivational character and contribution in footy; however, at the same time, Yze and his playing/coaching mantra - including tactical oversights - are additionally critical to our ongoing success. I still have not forgotten the experiential and communicative skills of Jordan Lewis, either. I really believe that these three lifted our team in so many ways from the 'also ran' category into the limelight of extraordinary, team football exponents.

It is assumptive but at the same time, could well be explored witihout great harm to the team, nor its structures. The replacements of Brown/TMac/Weed are more pressing than that of May should his ageing wheels fall away.

Now that Petty has had a career 'toughening' in the backline, holding down a key position and opponents across the finals with aplomb, it's time to make him a real star of the game - in the forward line. The guy could be (is) limitless.

That we, as members, did. Not even after losing to the Filth too many times against all rhyme and reason, and more recently, Trump's plea for us all to ingest bleach, did we lose the red'nblue in our blood.

His kicking is rather good, I feel; he was used at the Saints to get the ball and then get it out; at the Dees, I'd expect his support structures are going to be in the elite class (as proven through the finals) so he may just have the opportunity to focus on delivery up the ground, more fully. He certainly gets the possessions, he can handball, he is tough as a brit schtykhouse and seems to have very good disposal upfield, once clear. As mentioned by several DL observers, he is a spitting image of Stephen Powell - but tougher - and that is by no means a poor appraisal. Quick, someone with the tech savvy, get him a copy of Powell's highlights reel to consider. I'd reckon Richo, his old coaching mentor at the Saints, advised the MFC on this bloke and his adaptability, his toughness, his ability to 'get the ball' and his highly suitable profile for the Dees. To my mind, he is a far better pick-up than an acne-stricken youth yet to play big-time footy.

Bluddoath! Not too sure just how high that ceiling is going to be - and it applies to other 'newbies', youth and 'just out of the side' players, as well. Just the same, welcome Dunnie - tan. He will provide further competitiveness, skill and team merits to our listings of available players. Hell, next year is going to be exciting!

Next season will be bigger and better and the players are gearing up for the intense stuff to come well prior to that season. As for the season itself, the Mighty Dees will unleash hell; there will be blood-letting for all opponents, there will be opponents forced to look wantonly heavenward for inspiration and counter-attack, there will be less direct interference across Demon games from umpire sympathies for those who dare to challenge our talents. Watch out, AFL, a new chapter is coming.

Whoever it is, he/they will be under intense and frequent scrutiny just to stay on par with what was achieved in the last few years. It would be unlikely that the Demon benchmarkers amongst the fittest players in the whole AFL system would forget what was required and how to get there, nor would our 'leaders' allow the rest of the team to slip from these standards of excellence that delivered a Premiership and immense team cohesion.

Everyone declares that ruckmen take time to develop. Surely Mac is allowed to do that, too? In such a developmental time, if we can recruit him, he'd most likely become a tall forward learning the Demon crafts and team roles as well as possible - and sometime in the future, graduate to a key rucking role as this development settles into something that his potential strongly suggests.

Several other sons of our greats of the past will be further tempted to get to the Dees under the F&S highway, as well, once they realise that Taj made it - and would fit in just fine. This is in the true 'dynastic' evolution of our now-successful football team, surely? I'd be thinking Whitey(s), the Oxen and the Farmers, amongst others in that category...

On that point, the GF umpiring was quite obviously not what the Doggies expected; in saying that, what I mean is that the abundance of questionable frees they usually receive at questionable times on the ground, at questionable locations of the field - particularly in front of goal and at those moments of games when they have been slipping behind their opposition without much hope - nearly all diminished, gone and remained unpaid. The staging efforts were there across the GF, with the result that such staging '...wore them out..' - they would have been better served by actually winning the ball more effectively, more often, not reliant on actors' equity to get them across the line.

Yep, thought it was Dunkley, the pizzent. Well done, Kozzie, so quick, so effective, so very necessary, so justified. Thanks for confirming that, jnrmac.

That Kozzie spoil - to enable the split-second Petracca decision to line-'em up - was just fantastic teamwork providing the Trac possession to be converted into 6 lovely points. He got the bloke square-on, obviously sick to death of this Doggy's attempts to hurt Demon players right across the match after being beaten in marks, handballs and front positions. Farnknuckling by Kozzie, at its best.

Well, it is only early in the pre-season waiting period. Give it a cuppla weeks and it will be full to the brim.

That was an absolute beauty! Thank you.

That take-off speed is impressive and it must be realised that it is well short of a fuller, more distance-oriented full sprint than just a short 20 metre start. The full sprint takes (even the best athletes) at least 30 metres to be in the speed zone, accelerating further to 50 - 70m and then the finishing 30m to be sustained on top of that. He ain't running 100m from the midfield around an Olympic park to be in the play, so what he is achieving is well on the 'elite' level in respective requirements for the clearance in Aussie Rules footy, once possession or 'teaming' to receive has been ticked off. These talents are displayed (game in, game out) by our two 'invincables' who just fortified our winning of the Flag: Clarrie and Trac. Seems as though he is going to fit in nicely?

Of course that in not the primary reason. Geelong have spent an absolute footballing fortune on prosthetics, crutches, bandages and wheelchairs to assist prop up their list across 20/21. Ceglar's acquisition is proof that Geelong is making the most out of its prior investments and capital developments. Ceglar needs a back brace, a prosthetic knee, three ankle braces per foot, a pretty handbag for his limp wrist and as the 22 season progresses, the ongoing counsel of an Eastern mystic to remind him why he is out on a football field.

SHHHHH! This is secret men's business.

We have some extraordinary talents residing in our lists - youthful, keen, capable of learning (quickly), ready for an opportunity. Thus, it is difficult to consider how we can improve our lot; largely, it should be from our younger players who mostly reside at Casey. Perhaps, this coming season, recruitment is not as important as it has been in the past. I agree on Hibberd mellowing somewhat but also, TMac has noticeably shied from the competitive edge that he has displayed - particularly against other 'top sides'. We have some possible replacements for both of these journey-men of the MFC. A key CHF (in the old terms) would be a handy pickup should Tom not get back to his best. Not really expecting a great deal from the recruits as presented for the up-coming round of argy-bargy. If we are going to create a dynasty of the Demon, we'd most probably be better served by retaining and intensifying further development of the tickled red 'n blue genome from amongst all of our astutely selected and obtained youth. These players are really a potent lot already bricking the foundations of the Club's medium-term potentials.